SR1026 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1026 LRB102 27365 ECR 39154 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Thomas A. Oakley of Quincy, who passed away on April 13, 2022; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Oakley was born to Thomas C. and Mary Susan Sullivan Oakley in Quincy on June 24, 1932; he attended Quincy public schools and graduated from Quincy High School in 1950; he graduated from Duke University in 1954 with a bachelor's degree in Economics; following graduation, he served in the Air Force Strategic Air Command as a pilot; he married Anne McDonald in Raleigh, North Carolina on December 22, 1954, and she preceded him in death in 2015; and

WHEREAS, In 1958, Thomas Oakley returned to Quincy to re-enter the family business of Quincy Newspapers, Inc., now Quincy Media, Inc., as a fourth generation family member; in 1968, he became president of the company following the death of his father; as president/CEO from 1969 to 2008, he led the company's growth from owning and operating the Quincy Herald-Whig and WGEM AM-FM-TV to adding television stations in several markets and one additional newspaper; he resigned as president/CEO in 2008 but remained active in the company as publisher of the Herald-Whig until 2017 and as a member of the board of directors of Quincy Media until it sold its television and radio stations to Gray Media and its newspapers to Phillips Media in 2021; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Oakley served on an untold number of committees and organizations throughout his life; notably, he helped found the Joint Industrial Development Commission (JIDC), which was the predecessor organization to the Great River Economic Development Foundation (GREDF); he was a member of the Quincy University Board of Trustees and a member of the National Association of Broadcasters' Board of Directors; he served as a chairman of the Television Bureau of Advertising and on a newspaper industry committee dealing with cross ownership of television stations and newspapers; he also served for over 40 years on the USGA Greens Section Committee; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Oakley was a strong advocate for the United Way and for the construction of a new YMCA building in 1970; he was also an active supporter of the Community Foundation of Western Illinois and Northeast Missouri; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Oakley spent over 60 years working on highway development for the Tri-States as the region was bypassed in the formation of the country's interstate system in 1956; through his involvement and leadership, the region ultimately has become the crossroads of three major highways linking the tri-state region to the rest of the country; he recently donated one million dollars to fund the Tri-State Development Summit at Culver Stockton College to foster further, ongoing regional development work; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Oakley was recognized with many awards for his community service, including being inducted into the Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame and being the first recipient of the annual Boy Scout community service award; he received lifetime awards from the Midwest Chapter of the National Television Arts and Sciences, the Broadcasters Foundation of America, the National Association of Broadcasters, the Illinois Broadcasters Association, and the Illinois Press Association; he was awarded an honorary degree from Quincy University in 1975; a portion of the Chicago to Kansas City Expressway was named the Thomas A. Oakley Highway in 2009; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Oakley loved spending time with his family, especially at family events in Florida, Quincy, and the upper peninsula of Michigan; he was an avid golfer who traveled all over the world to play, including 20 years of trips to Scotland; he was also a frequent hunter and boater; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Oakley was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; his son, Thomas C. Oakley II; his son-in-law, Stephen Winters; his daughter-in-law, Lisa Smith Oakley; and his two brothers, Peter A. and David R. Oakley; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Oakley is survived by his son, Ralph; his daughter, Mary; his grandchildren, Tom (Lesley) Van Ness, Ben (Amanda) Van Ness, Allison (Dustin) Oakley Hall, Jonathan (Mark Peacock) Van Ness, and Sullivan Oakley (Joseph Burg); his step-grandchild, Jennifer Reekie (Don Krutmeier); his great-grandchildren, Olivia Van Ness, Liam Hall, Sterling Van Ness, Cameron Van Ness, Anne Hall, Emma Van Ness, and Oliver Hall; his step-great-grandchildren, Isla, Campbell, Cora, and Ailsa Reekie and Brynn and Carter Krutmeier; his sisters-in-law, Mary Oakley, Signe Oakley, and Mabel McDonald; his brother-in-law, Ralph McDonald (Meg McLaurin); and several cousins, nieces, and nephews; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Thomas A. Oakley and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Thomas Oakley as an expression of our deepest sympathy.